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"Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name." Psalm 86:11

Text: Genesis 26:1-35

FROM SIMPLE FAITH TO A LIFE MARKED BY FAITH

With painstaking patience, God had taught Abraham what it meant to have faith in Him. In time, the personal faith that Abraham possessed affected his life. God grew in importance to him even as his knowledge and trust grew apace. He enjoyed the Lord’s grace and mercies to the very end, despite major mistakes made along the way! Along the way, he had also discovered that the God he worshipped was a great and forgiving Lord!

FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND GENERATION

Isaac had found himself drawn to embrace the faith of his father. He had seen how his father Abraham had been blessed. He had loved his parents dearly and had appreciated their hand guiding and moulding his character as he grew up.

He appreciated his father’s faith and had trusted that he would find him a good wife. None was better than his wife Rebekah! Isaac had never found the need to have concubines at all! His own personal walk was not without adventure! God’s hand was so obvious in his life, that the Philistine king, Abimelech acknowledged it publicly.

THE THIRD GENERATION?

It was with great poignancy that the Scriptures recorded the following development of the firstborn of Isaac.

“When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives
Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath
the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a grief of mind
to Isaac and Rebekah.”
GENESIS 26:34-35

“When Esau was forty years old…”

Isaac was married at forty years too! But his wife had been carefully sought from Abraham’s family line! He had been deeply concerned that Isaac should not marry anyone who did not share the same faith (Cf. Genesis 24:3)! Esau had apparently not sought his parents’ guidance or blessing when he got married!

“A grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah”

The aging parents of Esau may not have agreed on how best they could bring up their twins, Esau and Jacob. But on this matter, they were agreed! They did not approve of Esau’s choices! He married two Hittite women! Marriage should have been a happy occasion. In Esau’s case, grief was felt instead!

Isaac and Rebekah saw how Esau had been growing up. He lacked the spiritual sensitivity that they both had! Jacob was little better! The spiritual lessons were there for all to learn! The blessings of the Lord upon the family were obvious! Why hadn’t the children learned the right spiritual lessons? The many rich blessings of God upon the family was muted by the course of life Esau had chosen!